Prank Call row - Russell Brand & Jonathan Ross fiasco

[Kagemusha22]

Christ haven't British papers got anything worthwhile to put on the frontpage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Brand_prank_calls_row), we're in a recession for Christ's sake and a monumental Presidential election is being carried out across the pond, and all the papers can do is get all hent up about two famous twats making prank calls.

I personally whilst thinking that there could have been more thought to Brand and Ross's work as (they're proffessionals, they should know when they're overstepping the mark), I don't have moral outrage. It's just alot of hot air being made about a petty joke. (Though there is a misogynistic side to the joke that I disagree with) But what worries me the most is the 18 thousand complaints that came after The Mail on Sunday (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mail_on_Sunday) made it headline news. (a week after the radio show had been broadcast)

And because of the Mail's input, every News paper has followed on the bandwagon of moral disgust (as they believe it's popular), Brand has resigned from the BBC, Ross's career is hanging by a thread, and even the fucking Prime Minister has criticized them! (Surely he's got better things to do, like sorting the economy out)

Now for anyone who does not know anything of the Mail, it's essentially a Right-wing/Conservative tabloid paper, that trys to push it's narrowminded rhetoric down peoples throats. It gained the nickname 'The Daily Heil!', due to it's support of fascists back in the 30's, and has viewpoints that would make America's Republicans blush. (Annoyingly Wikipedia has gotten rid of it's very long article, entitled "Criticism of the Daily Mail")

What worries me is if this is the start of a trend, where the Mail uses it's readers as a way to censore what the BBC does. Some people have called this occurance a shining moment of democracy, but all I'm seeing is one group, who share a common viewpoint that the UK in general may not necessarily agree with, going head first into an arguement even if they haven't evaluated the source material.

[Elwell]

I like Russ. He's a right old amusing gentleman. Self destructive streak a mile wide, mind you, but it's all part of the package, innit?

[wookiedabo]

it were bloody funny, and really, mostly jonathan ross' fault it got a bit below the belt. surely this is what comedy is all about.

[Venger]

I'm in total agreement kagemusha22.
Blown - out - of - all - proportion !

They stepped over the line (nothing new with these guys), how many times can they apologise already!
There's much bigger things to deal with - they're been used as a diversionary tactic to get our minds off the economy/environment/war.

[Molly]

Innit - big time!

Thing is, it was pre-recorded, so the Producer is to blame too, for he/she knew the content of the breoadcast...

I love Ross and Brand, I see nothing there to be having kittens about. I mean, jeeez, the BBC put Dom & Dick on TV, and they need to be strangled, slowly and without fuss....

Mx

[Black Spot]

I hate listening to Jonathon Ross; it’s like a constant barrage of talking about himself with innuendo every other word. I have no idea why most of the guests ever agree to go on his show. He's funny for five minutes before getting tedious, so anything that shuts him up is welcome.

Edit - Update. JR has been suspended for 10 weeks, which is going to cost him £1.15 million. Sad isn't it?

[Opilione]

What worries me is if this is the start of a trend, where the Mail uses it's readers as a way to censore what the BBC does.
First of all, the guys are douchebags and misogynistic assholes and yeah, apologies are kind of required when you behave like that. There's a difference between sending up a celebrity and then using misogyny against a relative to make someone angry.

Second, the tabloid beating the drum thing is pretty common everywhere. I'm not really sure how you'd stop it, except for burning the printers building to the ground, which really isn't fair because it's not the printers who write the crap inside the stuff they print.

[alesoun]

They did act like assholes; they're both old enough to know better. But, call me a cynic; Ross earns, what? £8m a year? I read somewhere £16,000 a day. And every year his agent will try to negotiate his fee higher.... what better way to humble the mighty than let them make a complete pratt of themselves?

Whatever way the wind blows, he'll be lucky to sign for £8m next time round....

Okies, I'm a cynic.....

[Dave Kendall]

I do think Ross and Brand were completely irresponsible. The only person in this situation I have sympathy with is Andrew Sachs. His grand daughter is really milking this for her 15 minutes of fame. Shes doing more to degrade her grand father with her front page tabloid exclusives than anything Ross and Brand have done.

Also don't the UK pensioners love a witch hunt.

A remarkably accurate view of the Daily Mail. Very funny too.

http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Daily_Mail

quote.: The Daily Mail ran headlines in the winter of 1992 stating that Asylum Seekers were the natural predators of Paedophiles. Such a stance caused great strife amongst the Daily Mail's readers who were confused as to which they hated more. The Daily Mail subsequently claimed that the headline was written by a saboteur from the Guardian (who was also a crack addicted single mother)

[Taj]

This is what happens when Matt Morgan isn't around...

[GNL]

Russell Brand's a piece of shit. Quite happy to see that guy crucified by the media. Fuck him.

Ross' show is good though.

[Kagemusha22]

I think the key reason that Jonathan Ross is getting so much stick, is because of the huge amount of jealousy that journalists have had over the guy's income. They've been waiting for him to slip up for ages, and this is like a gift heaven sent for them. So they're milking the story till it's boring.

As for Russell he was clever to resign, it's pretty much taken the heat off him. It won't affect him at all, he'll make a few films and money, before you know it the BBC will have forgotten all about it.

As for Sach's grandaughter, she'll be forgotten as soon as we'd heard of her. I agree with 'Rusty Baby', the only sympathetic character is Andrew Sachs out of all this. Though I hope that Jonathan's career isn't sunk by this, everyone's allowed to make a mistake. (Even if a really stupid, offensive one)

Anyway thanks for the link to Uncyclopedia's article on The Daily Mail, they seem to have reduced it's size since the last time I saw it.

[Kagemusha22]

Hate to revive a dead thread (and topic), but seen as that tabloids have recently gone into 'Puritan mode' after all this. This programme puts out the best analysis on the whole thing, so far;

WHBN-CvCXW4&feature=related

[squidmonk3j]

fantastic:)

[Rist]

I particularly liked that part where the actor for Fawlty Towers was so foul that the audience started running out of the show in disgust!

[Peter Coene]

I particularly liked that part where the actor for Fawlty Towers was so foul that the audience started running out of the show in disgust!

I thought they were rushing the stage.

[Black Spot]

Just remember they weren't talking crap about real people. There is a difference.

[Kagemusha22]

Just remember they weren't talking crap about real people. There is a difference.

Let's just see what it's like;

U7IHJ66wj9g

Pretty fucking stupid to scream down the phone "He fucked your Granddaughter" to the Grandfather, but really...

The paper's complaining about it for days, is abit of a nerve when they stuff their pages with far more offensive, bigoted stuff than this. (Anti-immigration articles in tabloids anyone, misogyny on the third page, constant Xenophobia and Richard Littlejohn calling homosexuality 'poovery'.)

[Shantih]

Try not to analyse the reasoning behind that rascist piss rag, it'll only drive you mad.